Rebecca SGI Young Women's Division Area Chief on having second thoughts

On SGI reorganizational structure:

"This won't change that many Youth are still turned off

I like the idea of concentrating on the districts, but it won't create new leaders. We still have very few youth leaders in general.  I'm an area ywd leader. In my few months in the position I've seen many ywd leaders burn out from the burden of so many meetings, responsibility of bringing in more youth, along with creating careers, and starting relationships and life. If you can't cut it you don't have enough faith.  (I devoted almost a year of my life to Rock the Era. I barely kept a job. My development in other areas stood still while I devoted every spare minute to Rock the Era.)  

The reason this Big Shift won't work is because SGI-USA still is Japanese in its structure.

Good in it's emphasis on helping individual members and behind-the-scenes efforts. Bad in the emphasis on sacrificing your time , and silent unquestioned acceptance about certain things, like about Soka Spirit fervor, adoring "Sensei" Average American youth doesn't want all that.  Example, as YWD, we have to sing:  

"Thank you Sensei....

Like a father you cheer us on

Undefeated OUR HEARTS ARE ONE

True disciples FOR ETERNITY

Ikeda Kayo-kai"  So much focus on President Ikeda! Why isn't the song about us and our own power? Why is it about "Sensei"? It turns young people off, because it feels weird. But questioning such adoration in SGI is tacitly unacceptable.  I read recently read:  "Mr. Toda also used to say, 'When you go to Eagle Peak, you should proudly declare, "I am a disciple of Josei Toda, the leader of kosen-rufu."' He told us to remain confident and assured even in the interval between this life and the next." May 2012 LB, 33  

Isn't my experience at death from my own merits? The experience of our buddhahood is what is important and works to transform us.  Mr. Ikeda places Mr. Toda and himself on a high pedestal - we call to them after death? For ETERNITY? Hey, Mr. Ikeda says wonderful things, but he's asking for a lot. And most wonderful things he says are interspersed with copious requests to connect to him spiritually and to spread the word. NON-STOP SPREADING.

I'm lying here getting over pneumonia and thinking about my role in the organization. This Big Shift is shifting things in me."